1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a method for management of authenticating information, and a computer readable medium storing a program thereof.
2. Related Art
An image forming apparatus called a so-called multi-function device like a printer having facsimile and scanner functions has an authentication function to identify a user, because the apparatus is shared by plural users. For the purpose of doing such authentication, an IC card like the one called a so-called smart card is used.
When using the image forming apparatus in which authentication is performed using such an IC card, a user is allowed to log in and use the image forming apparatus only after the user is authenticated based on user-entered authenticating information called Personal Identification Number (PIN).
This type of IC card may be provided as one in which a private key for a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) scheme is stored, wherein it is possible to append a digital signature to a variety of data by generating a signature value using the private key stored within the IC card.
For an IC card that is generally used for authentication, after you insert the IC card into a card reader, PIN information matching is checked and, once you have successfully been authenticated, a PIN information matching verified state continues until the IC card is removed from the card reader.
For some IC cards such as a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card which is an ID card issued by the U.S. federal government, re-input of PIN information to the IC card and information matching check are required for security protection purposes each time a certain operation is performed with the IC card (e.g., reading a certificate, digital signature using a private key, and decryption using a private key).
If you intend to append your digital signature to image data and others using such an IC card, you have to not only enter PIN information for being authenticated, but also re-enter PIN information when using your private key inside the IC card.
After you have been authenticated using your IC card, if you initiate a scan job in which signing with your digital signature needs to be done plural times in a job or plural jobs, you have to enter PIN information whenever a digital signature is required. An example of a scan job in which signing with your digital signature needs to be done plural times in a job is a case where the, after contents of scanned pages are converted into digitally signed PDF data, you attach this PDF data to a digitally signed e-mail and transmit the e-mail. In such case, the user is required to enter PIN information when PDF data is digitally signed and when the e-mail is digitally signed.
In general, an image forming apparatus is equipped with a user interface device having small operation buttons and the like, and their operability is not always good. Consequently, the need to enter PIN information each time a process that uses information stored inside the IC card is performed requires the user to perform operation that bothers the user.